Sam Bonno wrote a letter to the judges of his senior project at Creekview High School. He built a drivable go-kart from scratch for his younger brother to use. Through this project, Sam learned valuable mechanical skills and problem solving. He endured difficulties but kept trying until succeeding. This project directly relates to Sam's planned career in mechanical engineering, as it involved designing, planning, and assembling mechanical parts. Sam enjoyed applying what he learned to a completed project and hopes his future career will provide similar satisfaction.

1. 1550 Owens Store Road
Canton, GA 30115
4/13/2012
Judges, Senior Project
Creekview High School
1550 Owens Store Road
Canton, GA 30115
Dear Judges:
My name is Sam Bonno and I am a Creekview Grizzly. Throughout all my life I have
grown up in rural areas and learned to love the outdoors, spending time with my family,
and working with my hands. I plan to attend Georgia Southern University to earn a
degree in Mechanical Engineering. I chose to design and construct a drive-able vehicle
from scratch as my Senior Project. My vehicle is classified as a go-kart, and was built to
be used by a 10-11 year old child (my younger brother).
My product involved many different parts and assemblies. In my research I learned about
different designs and models that can be produced. After selecting a basic design to
model after, I needed to compile a list of parts and shopping list. The searching that was
required and the trial and error of building posed a large obstacle and tested my patience
and skills. This Senior Project has taught me not only valuable mechanical skills, but
caused me to endure hardships. Most importantly, I learned that nothing ever works right
the first time, and the only way to succeed is to keep trying.
This topic for my Senior Project definitely relates to the career I intend to pursue because
it involves planning out and assembling mechanical parts. Mechanical engineering is
defined as: A discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials
science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems.
Throughout the processes of this project I had to learn new ways to solve problems, and
look at things creatively. I enjoyed working with my hands and seeing a project reach
completion. I hope a career in Mechanical Engineering can provide the same satisfaction
I know many of my peers hate the senior project. I thought I felt the same. However, as I
completed this long project, I realized how much I had learned and enjoyed the skills I
learned. In my project I used all sorts of tools, and learned electrical skills, welding skills,
plasma cutter skills, and general mechanics. I think everyone should do projects like this
to see what they can accomplish and see a finished project. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Sam Bonno